Proportioning Concrete Mixtures

What is concrete?
Concrete, is a product or mass made by the
use of a cementing medium.
Generally, this medium is the product of
reaction between hydraulic cement and water
(Neville and Brooks, 1987).

HOW??
Concrete is prepared by mixing cement (binder), sand (fine
aggregate), gravel (coarse aggregate) and water with specific
proportions.
The cement and the water will react through the hydration process.
The hydrated cement composed of four major compounds namely,
tri-calcium silicate (C
3
S), di-calcium silicate (C
2
S), tricalcium
aluminate (C
3
A) and tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C
4
AF). The most
important products of the hydration reaction are the calcium silicate
hydrate (C-S-H) and the calcium hydroxide (CH).
The hydration reactions of the major compounds can be written as
below:


2 3 2 3 3
) ( 3 6 2 OH Ca H S C H S C + +
2 3 2 3 2
) ( 4 2 OH Ca H S C H S C + +
6 3 3
6 AH C H A C +
6 3 6 3 2 4
10 ) ( 2 FH C AH C H OH Ca AF C + + +
Proportioning of concrete mixtures
The proportioning of concrete mixtures is the process of
arriving at the right combination of cement, aggregates,
water, and admixtures for making concrete according to
given specifications.
The process is considered an art rather than a science
Although many engineers do not feel comfortable, with an
understanding of the underlying principles and, with some
practice, the art of proportioning concrete mixtures can be
mastered.
Given an opportunity, the exercise of this art is very
rewarding because the effect of mix proportioning on the
cost of concrete and several important properties of both
fresh and hardened concrete can be clearly seen.
The mix design process
Components of Modern Concrete
Concrete is a composite material that consists
essentially of a binding medium within which
are embedded particles or fragments of
aggregate.
To obtain concrete with certain desired
performance characteristics the following
steps are essential:-
1. The selection of component materials
2. A process called mixture proportioning, which
means achieving the right combination of
components.
Purpose of mix proportioning
Conventionally, the two most essential requirements of
mix proportioning are the workability of fresh concrete
and the strength of hardened concrete at a specified
age.
Durability is another important property, but it is
generally assumed that under normal exposure
conditions durability will be satisfactory if the concrete
mixture develops the necessary strength.
Another purpose of mix proportioning is to obtain a
concrete mixture satisfying the performance
requirements at the lowest possible cost.
Purpose
The overall objective of proportioning concrete
mixtures can therefore be summarized as selecting the
suitable ingredients among the available materials and
determining the most economical combination that
will produce concrete with certain minimum
performance characteristics.
The tools available to the engineer to achieve this
objective are limited. An obvious constraint in concrete
mixture proportioning is that within a fixed volume you
cannot alter one component independent of others.
For example, in a m
3
of concrete, if the aggregate
component is increased, the cement paste component
decreases.
Purpose
With concrete-making materials of given
characteristics and with given job conditions (i.e.,
structural design, and equipment for handling
concrete), the variables generally under the
control of a mix designer are as follows:
The cement paste-aggregate ratio in the mixture, the
water-cement ratio in the cement paste, the sand-
coarse aggregate ratio in the aggregates, and the use
of admixtures.
The task of mixture proportioning is complicated by
the fact that certain desired properties of concrete
may be oppositely affected by changing a specific
variable.
The process of mixture proportioning boils down to
the art of balancing various conflicting requirements.
Approaches for concrete mix design
The weight method and the absolute volume
method.
In the weight method, the unit weight of fresh
concrete is known from previous experience for
the commonly used raw materials and is used to
calculate the weight of the last unknown
component of concrete, usually the sand.
If the unit weight of fresh concrete (wet concrete)
is known, we have
admixture sand aggregate water cement concrete wet
W W W W W W + + + + =
Absolute volume method
In the absolute volume method, the total
volume (1m
3
) is equal to the sum of volume of
each ingredient given by:-
1 ) ( = + + + + + air volume
W W
W
W W
admixture
admixture
sand
sand
aggregate
aggregate
water
water
cement
cement

Density (unit weight) of fresh concrete
= density (unit weight) of fresh concrete, kg/m
3

a
= weighted average bulk specific gravity (SSD) of
combined fine and coarse aggregate
A = air content, %
C = cement content, kg/m
3
= specific gravity of cement (generally 3.10 for Portland
cement)
W = mixing water requirement, kg/m
3
( ) ( )| |
3
1 1 100 10 m kg W C A
a
a
a

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =

Rough estimate Density (unit weight) of
fresh concrete
( ) ( )| |
3
1 1 100 10 m kg G W
G
G
C A G U
a m
c
a
m a m

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
where U
m
is the weight of fresh concrete, kg/m
3
; G
a

is the weighted average bulk specific gravity (SSD) of
combined fine aggregate and coarse aggregate,
assuming reasonable weight proportions; G
c
is the
specific gravity of cement; A is the air content, %;
W
m
is the mixing water content, kg/m
3
; C
m
is the
cement content, kg/m
3
.
Mass of fine aggregate
The volume method is an exact procedure for
calculating the required amount of fine
aggregate. Here, the mass of fine aggregate,
A
f
, is given by:
( )
3
/ 10 1000 m kg A
A C
W A
c
c
f f
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + + =

where
A
c
= coarse aggregate content, kg/m
3

f
= bulk specific gravity (SSD) of fine aggregate

c
= bulk specific gravity (SSD) of coarse aggregate
General Considerations
When the aggregate under consideration
contains alkali-reactive minerals, the use of
pozzolanic admixtures in combination with a
high-alkali cement may turn out to be the
more cost-effective alternative, at times.
General
Further cost reduction is possible, without
compromising the essential performance
characteristics of a concrete mixture, if
cheaper and suitable materials are found to
replace a percentage of Portland cement.
Specific Principles
When reviewing the following specific principles
for selecting concrete mixture proportions, it will
be helpful to remember again that the underlying
goal is to strike a reasonable balance between
the workability, strength, durability, and cost of
concrete.
A key consideration governing many of the
principles behind the procedures for
proportioning concrete mixtures is the
recognition that; cement costs much more than
aggregates.
Specific
Among all the constituents of the concrete,
the admixture has the highest unit cost,
followed by cement.
When a material is available from two or more
sources and a significant price differential
exists, the least expensive source of supply is
usually selected unless there are
demonstrable technical reasons that the
material will not be suitable for the job at
hand.
Workability
Workability embodies certain characteristics of fresh
concrete, such as consistency and cohesiveness.
Consistency, broadly speaking, is a measure of the wetness
of the concrete mixture, which is commonly evaluated in
terms of slump.
To obtain the specified slump, the mixture water
requirement generally decreases as:
1. The maximum size of a well-graded aggregate is increased;
2. The content of angular and rough-textured particles in the
aggregate is reduced;
3. The amount of entrained air in the concrete mixture is
increased; and
4. Coal fly ash is used as a partial replacement for a cement.
Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness is a measure of compactibility and
finishability, which is generally evaluated by
trowelability and visual judgment of resistance to
segregation.
In trial mixtures when cohesiveness is judged as
poor, it can usually be improved by taking one or
more of the following steps:
increase the sand/coarse aggregate ratio, partially replace
the cement or sand with coal fly ash, and
increase the cement paste/aggregate ratio.
Cohesiveness
Obviously, due to its lower density, fly ash has the
ability to increase the cement mortar/aggregate ratio
by volume without an increase in the cement, water,
or sand content of the mixture.
There are no standard requirements for workability
because they may vary from one job to another,
depending on the type of construction and the
equipment used to transport and consolidate
concrete.
Strength
From the standpoint of structural safety, the
strength of concrete specified by the designer is
treated as the minimum required strength.
Therefore, to account for variations in materials;
methods of mixing, transportation, and
placement of concrete; and curing and testing of
concrete specimens, ACI Building Code 318
requires a certain degree of strength overdesign,
which is based on statistical considerations.
Strength
In other words, depending on the variability of
test results, the mixture proportions selected
must yield a mean or average strength higher
than the minimum or the specified strength.
It should be noted that the average strength, not
the specified strength, is used in mixture design
calculations.
Although other factors also influence strength,
the tables and charts used for the purposes of
mixture proportioning assume that strength is
solely dependent on the water-cement ratio and
the content of entrained air in concrete.
Selection of design strength
The mix design process will deal with a target
average strength. The average strength
selected must take into account:
1. The degree of variability anticipated.
2. The degree of certainty of avoiding rejection
required.
3. Any early age strength requirement.
4. The required durability.
Target mean strength
Characteristic strength is a lower limit of
strength to be used in structural design.
As with all materials, concrete has an
inherent variability of strength, and an
average cube compressive strength (or
target mean strength) somewhat above
the characteristic strength is therefore
required.
deviation dard s
strength Specif ied F
strength average required X
where
k F X
tan =
=
=
+ =
o
o
Variability
Knowledge of the o is required to determine
the target strength. which is a measure of the
spread of results assuming concrete strength
to be a normally distributed variable.
For an existing concrete production facility o
will be known from previous tests.
Where limited or no data are available, the
upper values given in the Figure below which
has been derived from analysis of the data
from many production facilities can be used.
Variability
Values of can range from less than 2.0 MPa
to more than 6.0 MPa so that the required
target average strength can vary by 6 MPa or
more according to the degree of control
achieved.

The normal distribution
k value
k = a constant depending on the proportion of
results permitted to be below F.
The difference between the characteristic and
target mean strength is called the margin; a 5%
failure rate is normally chosen for concrete
In the USA the permissible percentage defective
is usually 10% giving a k value of 1.28.
In most of the rest of the world the percentage is
5% giving a k value of 1.645 (which in the UK is
rounded to 1.64 and in Australia to 1.65).
Durability
when concrete is subject to normal conditions
of exposure, the mix-proportioning procedures
ignore durability because strength is
considered to be an index of general durability.
However, under conditions that may tend to
shorten the service life of concrete, its
durability may be enhanced by special
considerations in mixture proportioning.

Durability
For example, entrained air is required with all
exposed concrete in climates where freezing and
thawing cycles occur.
Concrete exposed to chemical attack by deicing
salts or acidic or sulfate waters may require the
use of water-reducing and mineral admixtures.
In such a situation, although a higher water-
cement ratio would have satisfied the strength
requirement, a lower water-cement ratio is
usually specified considering the exposure
conditions.
Procedures
Mathematical approaches to determine the
correct proportion of component materials of
a concrete mixture meeting a given set of
specifications generally do not work because
the materials vary widely in their
characteristics large number of empirical
methods based on extensive test data
developed from local materials.
Procedures
The method recommended by ACI Committee
211, is popular in the USA and many other
countries in the world.
To the extent possible, the following
background data should be gathered before
starting the calculations:
1. Sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregate;
fineness modulus
2. Dry-rodded unit weight of coarse aggregate
3. Bulk specific gravity of materials
Procedures
4. Absorption capacity or free moisture in the aggregate
5. Variations in the approximate mixing water
requirement with slump, air content, and grading of
the available aggregates
6. Relationship between strength and W/C for available
combinations of cement and aggregate
7. Job specifications if any [e.g., maximum water-
cement ratio, minimum air content, minimum slump,
maximum size of aggregate, and strength at early
ages (normally, 28-day strength is specified)].
Steps in ACI 211 method
Step 1: Choice of slump
Step 2: Choice of maximum size of aggregate
Step 3: Estimation of the mixing water content
and air content
Step 4: Selection of water-cement ratio
Step 5: Calculation of the cement content
Step 7: Estimation of the fine aggregate content
Step 8: Adjustments for the aggregate moisture
Step 9: Trial batch adjustments
Flow chart for
selection and
documentation
of concrete
proportions
Examples
Concrete is required for a column that will be
moderately exposed to freezing and thawing.
The cross section of the column is 300 300
mm. The smallest spacing between reinforcing
steel is 30 mm. The specified compressive
strength of concrete at 28 days is 40 MPa with
a slump of 80 to 100 mm. The properties of
materials are as follows:
Cement used is type I Portland cement with a
specific gravity of 3.15.
The available coarse aggregate has a maximum
size of 20 mm, a dry-rodded unit weight of 1600
kg/m
3
, a bulk specific gravity (SSD) of 2.68,
absorption capacity of 0.5%, and moisture
content (oven-dried, OD) of 0.25%.
The fine aggregate has a bulk specific gravity
(SSD) of 2.65, absorption capacity of 1.3%, a
moisture content (SSD) of 3%, and a fineness
modulus of 2.60.
The aggregates conform to the ASTM C33-84
requirements for grading.
With the given information, the mix design will be carried through
in detail, using the sequence of steps outlined.
Step 1: Choice of slump. The slump is given and consistent with
Table 3-7.
Step 2: Maximum aggregate size. The maximum aggregate size is
20 mm, which meets the limitations of 1/5 of the minimum
dimension between forms and 3/4 of the minimum clear space.
Step 3: Estimation of mixing water and air content. The concrete
will be exposed to freezing and thawing; therefore, it must be air
entrained. From Table 3-8, the recommended mixing water amount
is 180 kg/m
3
, and the air content recommended for moderate
exposure is 5.0%.
Step 4: Water/cement ratio (w/c). According to both Table 3-1 and
Table 3-3, the estimate of the required w/c ratio to give a 28-day
compressive strength of 40 MPa is 0.35.
Step 5: Calculation of cement content. Based on the steps 3 and 4,
the required cement content is 180/0.35 = 514 kg/m
3
.
Step 6: Estimation of coarse aggregate content. From
Table 3-11, for fineness modulus of the fine aggregate
of 2.60, the volume of dry-rodded coarse aggregate per
unit volume of concrete is 0.64. Therefore, there will
be 0.64 m
3
coarse aggregate per m
3
volume concrete.
And, the OD weight of the coarse aggregate is 0.64
1600 = 1024 kg. The SSD weight is 1024 1.005 = 1029
kg.
Step 7: Estimation of fine aggregate content. The fine
aggregate content can estimated by either the weight
method or the volume method.
(a) Weight method. From Table 3-12, the estimated
concrete weight is 2280 kg/m
3
.
Although for a first trial it is not generally necessary to use
the more exact calculation based on Equation, this value
will be used here:
( ) ( )| |
( )( ) ( )
3
3
/ 2314
1 67 . 2 180
15 . 3
67 . 2
1 514 5 100 67 . 2 10
1 1 100 10
m kg
m kg G W
G
G
C A G U
a m
c
a
m a m
=

|
.
|

\
|
+ =

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
Based on the already determined
weights of water, cement, and coarse
aggregate,
the SSD weight of the fine aggregate is
2314 180 514 1029 = 591 kg.
(b) Volume method. Based on the known
weights and specific gravity of water, cement,
and coarse aggregate, the air volume, the
volumes per m
3
occupied by the different
constituents can be obtained as follows:
( )
3
3
3
384 . 0
68 . 2 1000
1029
:
163 . 0
15 . 3 1000
180
:
18 . 0
1000
180
:
m
X G
W
SSD Agg Coarse
m
X G
W
cement
m
W
water
water agg Coarse
agg coarse
water cement
cement
water
water
= =
= =
= =

Air: 0.05 m
3
;
Therefore, the fine aggregate must occupy a
volume of 1 (0.180 + 0.163 + 0.384 + 0.05) =
0.223 m
3
.
The required SSD weight of the fine aggregate
is:
0.223 2.65 1000 = 591 kg.
Step 8: Adjustment for moisture in the
aggregate.
Since the aggregates will be neither SSD nor
OD in the field, it is necessary to adjust the
aggregate weights for the amount of water
contained in the aggregate.
Since absorbed water does not become part
of the mix water, only surface water needs to
be considered.
For the given moisture contents, the adjusted
aggregate weights become:
Coarse aggregate (stock): From
W(stock) = W(OD)[1 + MC(OD)]
Get: W(stock) = 1024 1.0025 = 1026 kg
The extra water needed for coarse aggregate
absorption is
W(SSD) W(stock) = 1029 1026 = 3 kg
Fine aggregate (stock): 591 1.03 = 609 kg/m
3
Extra water provided by fine aggregate: 609 591
= 18 kg
The mixing water is then: 180 + 3 18 = 165 kg.
Thus, the estimated batch weights per m
3
are as
follows: water, 165 kg; cement, 514 kg; coarse
aggregate, 1026 kg; fine aggregate, 609 kg; total,
2314 kg.
Step 9: Trial mixes. Trial mixes should be
carried out using the proportions calculated.
The properties of the concrete in the trial mix
must be compared with the desired
properties, and the mix design must be
corrected as described.
Proportioning of High-Strength
and High-Performance Concrete Mixtures
ACI Definition
HPC is defined as a concrete meeting special
combination of performance and uniformity
requirements that cannot always be achieved
routinely using conventional constituents and
normal mixing, placing, and curing practices.
Mehta and Aitcin suggested the term HPC
mixtures that possess the following three
properties: high-workability, high-strength, and
high durability.
Proportioning of High-Strength
For a variety of reasons, the ACI211 procedure for
concrete mixture proportioning needs updating.
Since it was developed when concrete mixtures were
required to meet rather narrow specifications for
compressive strength at 28 days (15 to 45 MPa, Table
3-1) and consistency (25 to 175 mm slump).
To satisfy todays high-construction speeds with heavily
reinforced structural elements, concrete placement by
pumping is the common practice now, and this means
that concrete mixtures are designed to have at least
125 to 150 mm slump.
Proportioning of High-Strength
Also, high-strength and high-performance
concrete mixtures are being designed for
compressive strength values from 50 to 100 MPa,
which is outside the range of W/C - compressive
strength relationship given by ACI-211 (Table 3-1).
The use of mineral admixtures and
superplasticizers is much more prevalent now,
and ACI 211 guidelines do not adequately deal
with concrete mixtures containing these
components.
Mehta and Aitcin Procedure of
proportioning HSC/HPC
Mehta and Aitcin developed a sequential, eight-
step procedure for proportioning of high-
performance concrete mixtures containing
superplasticizers, mineral admixtures, and 28-day
compressive strength values between 65 to 120
MPa.
To provide adequate dimensional stability (e.g.,
high elastic modulus, and low drying shrinkage
and creep), the procedure assumes a fixed ratio
of 35 to 65% by volume between the cement
paste and the aggregate.
Mehta
For a 1 m
3
batch of concrete containing 0.35 m
3

cement paste, having known the volume of water
and assuming a certain amount of entrapped or
entrained air, the total volume of the
cementitious material can be computed by
difference.
Next, the procedure provides options in the
choice of the cementitious material, i.e, whether
to use Portland cement alone or to use partial
replacement of the cement by one or more
mineral admixtures such as fly ash, slag, and silica
fume.
Mehta
To complete the computations for the first trial
batch, a 2:3 ratio by volume between the fine
aggregate and the coarse aggregate is assumed.
This trial is used to determine the dosage of the
superplasticizer for obtaining the desired
consistency and for adjustment of a proper ratio
between CA : FA.
In general, depending on the type of the
superplasticizer and the physical-chemical
characteristics of the cementitious material, the
superplasticizer dosage may vary from 1 to 3
l/m
3
.
Mehta
Note that a change of emphasis from the w/c-
strength relation to the water content-
durability relation will provide the necessary
incentive for incorporation of particle packing
concepts into the concrete mixture
proportioning methods.

Mix proportions and material properties for the
range of RCC concretes used at the Willow Creek
Dam are shown in the Table
Exercise 1
Use the American method to design a concrete
mix that is required to have a specified mean
strength of 30 MPa at 28 days. The presence of
reinforcement requires a slump of 75mm and a
maximum size of aggregate of 10 mm. The
aggregates are of normal weight, and gradings
conform to the appropriate standard with a
fineness modulus of 2.8. (Assume that absorption
is 0.7% and moisture condition of the aggregates
is SSD; the bulk density of coarse aggregate is
1600 kg/m
3
; and there will be extreme exposure
condition to freeze-thawing.)
Exercise 2
Use the American method to design a concrete mix
that is required to have a specified mean strength of 25
MPa at 28 days. The presence of reinforcement
requires a slump of 3050 mm and a maximum size of
aggregate of 40 mm. The aggregates are of normal
weight and gradings conform to the appropriate
standard with a fineness modulus of 2.8. (Assume
there is negligible absorption and moisture content; a
dry-rodded bulk density (unit weight) of coarse
aggregate is 1550 kg/m
3
, and there is a bulk specific
gravity (SSD) of 2.70; the fine aggregate has a bulk
specific gravity (SSD) of 2.65; and the concrete will be
in extreme exposure conditions.)